On Idleness – 2

“The [current] morality of work is the morality of slaves, and the modern world has no need of slavery.”

– Bertrand Russell

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In this interesting article, Russell tells us that the belief that work is virtuous belongs to the slave states and is the result of thousands of years of master-slave relationship. He argues that in the modern world, with the help of machines, people don’t need to work as much. For example, if someone can deliver their tasks in 3 hours instead of 8, thanks to machines, then 3 hours is enough.

One of the things that the pandemic and working from home has taught us is that we don’t need to work 8 hours. We can work 4 hours and this can be enough to deliver quality outcomes. Yet, it is a taboo to talk about this in the professional world. Where this taboo is coming from? From a system of morality. The professional world, more or less, still follows the morality of slavery in which the ruling class (kings and clergies) preached: “Satan finds some mischief for idle hands to do”.

Moreover, Russell thinks idleness is necessary for ‘good nature’ and good nature is what the world needs:

“Good nature is, of all moral qualities, the one that the world needs most, and good nature is the result of ease and security, not of a life of arduous struggle. Modern methods of production have given us the possibility of ease and security for all; we have chosen, instead, to have overwork for some and starvation for others. Hitherto we have continued to be as energetic as we were before there were machines; in this we have been foolish, but there is no reason to go on being foolish forever.”

In short, instead of blindly following the idea that work is virtuous, Russell invites us to think about it, to question it, and to change it. We can have meditations of these sorts only if we are idle!

On Idleness – 1

“I do always look back and think could I have done less?”
– Shooter Williamson

One of the ideas that has been occupying my mind for some time now is the courage for idleness. I like to share a few articles (with summaries) about it. I start with a less serious one.

I liked the phrase “I do always look back and think could I have done less?”. Because on contrary of popular belief, there are many occasions in our lives that doing less could’ve been better.

Example: imagine a super lazy Hitler. He still could be a racist piece of shit, but too lazy to organise anything. The world would’ve a better place.

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Disclaimer: my posts on this subject might be to some extent hypocritical as not everyone has the luxury of pursuing idleness, but I’d claim a lot of my friends, including me, have this privilege.